Moore still pained by Paterno's death, downfall

The pain over Joe Paterno's death, and his fall from grace, is still evident in Lenny Moore's voice.

The Hall of Fame running back emerged as a national star at Penn State and credits Paterno - then an assistant coach and a mentor - for much of his success in life.

The two men admired each other and maintained a close relationship. Moore remains upset with how Paterno's story ended.

He, along with Lydell Mitchell, visited the ailing coach just days before his death early last year. Like many others Moore wanted to know about Paterno's involvement in the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse case - one that led to Paterno's ouster as coach and stained his legacy.

"I said: 'Joe, let me ask you a question, man: What happened?' " recounted Moore Thursday, following a ceremony in his honor at Reading High. " 'Why are they involving you, and you're not involved? I don't understand that. Why are they kicking you in the butt?'

"He said: 'Lenny, when I found out about what was going on in the shower, it blew me away. Then when I found out all of what I knew, I went to (Penn State president Graham) Spanier, who's my head; I went to the athletic director (Tim Curley); I told them everything I knew. And I left it alone.'

" 'For more than two years after I told them' - this is his exact words - 'they didn't do a damned thing.' "

Like others close to the program, Moore - who played for the Nittany Lions from 1952-55 - remains shaken by the incident and upset at the fate Paterno incurred during his dying days.

"To take that statue down?" Moore said incredulously. "To take all of what he created? And take him, like he's never done it? No, that's wrong - that's really wrong."